TCHRD releases annual report of human rights situation in Tibet 2023

Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 21 (ANI): A Dharamshala-based exile Tibetan NGO, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, released its annual report on the human rights situation in Tibet 2023.

In a press statement, the spokesperson of TCHRD, Ngawang Lungtok, said, “Even as China ended its draconian zero-Covid policy measures in 2023, Tibetans continue to face escalating crackdowns on freedom of expression, religion and belief. Despite numerous calls from the international community to immediately halt its forced assimilation policy, Chinese authorities imposed Chinese medium education in Tibetan schools and amended local regulations in Tibetan areas to promote Mandarin Chinese.”

Tibetans face restrictions not only on their right to freedom of assembly but also on expressing opinions or criticisms against repressive and unjust government policies, both online and offline. Under the guise of maintaining social stability, Chinese authorities exercise direct supervision and censorship over all online platforms.

The right to freedom of religion and belief faced further restrictions as Chinese authorities introduced more repressive regulations to exercise total control over the establishment, management and activities of religious activity sites. Despite the relaxation of zero-covid restrictions, it made no difference to Tibetan Buddhists, who continued to face restrictions in undertaking religious pilgrimages, the statement also read.

Tibetan detainees inside Tibet continue to face a litany of human rights violations. Those arbitrarily, preventatively or forcefully detained underwent unjust sentencing and torture, resulting in custodial deaths. Incommunicado detention in undisclosed locations without due process also remained a regular practice, leading to lasting health issues and premature deaths among political prisoners upon release, it added.

In 2023, China was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council, the UN’s premier rights body responsible for protecting and promoting human rights globally. This re-election demonstrates how authoritarian states like China manipulate, obstruct and exploit the international human rights system by waging systematic campaigns to weaken and eviscerate the UN’s ability to enforce global compliance with international human rights standards.

The ongoing injustices and human rights violations in Tibet underscores the urgent need to address the human rights abuses in Tibet perpetrated by Chinese authorities. The Chinese government must release all Tibetans detained for merely exercising their human rights and political freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, or any other areas of public life, according to the official statement.